Unexpected visit
by assassi
Summary: FIRST SEQUEL to "To live again". Izumo and Kotetsu get a visit from the most unexpected guest. One-shot


**A.N.** So this is the FIRST SEQUEL to "To live again". It's written from different POVs this time, so I hope you don't find it hard to read and I hope you like it and leave some nice reviews. Next sequel is in progress. Progress depends on how you review ;)

Unexpected visit

**Kotetsu POV**

The alarm clock went off.

Izumo groaned and dove under the blankets.

I just smirked.

I opened my mouth to say something, maybe tease him a little, but my breath was stolen from my suddenly heaving chest as a small, teasing lick traced my awakening member. My eyes shot open and I lifted the covers only to moan at the sight: Izumo's mouth around my prick, lips stretched in a strange (considering his, um, full mouth) smile and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

This was so very uncharacteristic of him. I mean sure he was a good lover and did pay me attention every once in a while, but not first thing in the morning…

He sucked hard and I bit my bottom lip, all thought leaving my foggy mind at once. My head swayed back, my body needing to just give up and lay back, but I stubbornly kept looking down; I wanted to watch him.

Izumo's head bobbed up and down expertly, bringing me closer and closer to an embarrassingly quick end. Again, I opened my mouth and tried to tell him to slow down but the he hummed.

He hummed…!

"Izumo!"

My shout sounded just as desperate as the feeling of having my cock sucked by the main character in my wet dreams (yes, I did still have those) left me. I collapsed down on the bed, having arched up before without realizing it, panting hard, trying to regain some conscience. It'd boost his ego to no end if he actually knew in what state his blowjobs left me.

Licking his lips like a cat, he rested his chin on my chest and smiled serenely. (_Serenely!?_ Kami, he did really suck my mind though my cock!)

"Happy first day of December!", he said, his voice still a bit hoarse.

I smiled back. "Yeah… happy Day of morning blowjobs…"

He scowled. "Don't be a Grinch. It's the first day of the Xmas month! I am so buying more decorations today!", and his face had lit up again by the end of that statement.

I just chuckled – I liked seeing him this way. Happy. With me.

"What?", he asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing. By all the sparkling, Xmas-y things you like", I said, kissing his nose.

"But we'll choose the tree together", he insisted.

I sighed. "Zumo, I know nothing about trees. Or Xmas for that matter…"

He frowned. "Didn't you celebrate it in Suna?"

"We did, officially. Just… not in my family."

His face formed the expression he did every time I talked about my family – pity and love and determination all in one.

"I'll give you the best Xmas this year, Kotetsu. I swear."

I just smiled, caressing his face. "I'm sure you will. Just be around. That'd sum up everything I need for a perfect holiday."

He pursed his lips. I frowned.

"What?"

"Blowjobs do really make you mushy!", he laughed, but then kissed my brow, standing up. "But I like it", he winked over his shoulder, heading for the bathroom.

I stretched in the bed for a few more minutes, then took a shower after him; he said he'd go to the store in the meantime. I had just gotten under the shower when I noticed our shower gel (yes, I did still steal his cosmetics, so they were now practically _our_) had just been finished by him. I growled and in the same time the doorbell rang.

"A-ha!"

Deciding he'd forgotten his keys again, and maybe his wallet too since he came back so soon, I wrapped a towel around my waist (just in case if it wasn't him) and strode to the door. Jash was already standing there, snarling dangerously. I frowned.

"What's gotten into you, silly, it's just Izumo…"

I opened the door with a satisfying swishing sound, preparing for an angry tirade.

"You could have left me some…"

And then I froze, gaping like a fish out of water. Jash barked thunderously.

In the same moment heavy footsteps alerted Izumo's coming back.

"Ah, thank Kami, I forgot…"

He stopped short and examined the scene.

"Um… baby?"

Somewhere in the back of my mind (and through Jash's enraged barks at meeting a stranger, and one that obviously made me nervous) I noted the possessive way Izumo called me, even though there was a woman, and an older one, in front of me. But nothing seemed funny for me now. I gulped and choked out,

"Izumo, this is… my mother."

* * *

**Izumo POV**

So… this is what they called awkward silence.

I'd had to usher them inside the apartment since they'd both stood up in the hallway like they were in stupor. I'd told Kotetsu to go get dressed and I'd offered his mother a seat… even served her tea like a good host.

Well… before I'd given her the cup, I admit I'd had the minor vision of pouring said hot tea all over her, while shouting at her what an awful mother she was.

But, no. Everyone deserves a second chance, Izumo. You got one. A huge one. Be grateful and show the same attitude towards the other sinners now.

Now, though, the silence was so thick one could cut through it with a knife. We sat on the couch and his mother sat in the armchair, looking small and hesitant, quite what he'd described. He had inherited the color of his hair from her, but hers was smooth and straight. She had brown eyes. Kotetsu's were darker, a richer color, like dark chocolate…

Aaaaand I sound like a lovesick bitch again, skip that comment…

But in fact the first thing that came to my mind when it'd sunk in that this is really his mother was: _"No way has someone as tall and bulky as Kotetsu come from this tiny woman!"_

"So, um… how long since you've been in tow-…", I started, but got interrupted by a low growl.

"How did you get here? How did you find me, why did you come?!"

Kotetsu sounded in pain. Frustrated, confused and hurt. I took his hand and squeezed, but he didn't look up.

"I-I…", his mother stuttered. Her voice was quiet, hesitant like her eyes looked. And then suddenly, taking a fortifying breath, her eyes glinted with determination. "I left your father."

Kotetsu's head shot up, his eyes wide.

"What?", he asked quietly.

"I know I should have done this ages ago. I know I should have protected you, Kotetsu…!", she took in another shaky breath, obviously on the verge of tears. "There's been that course for women, mostly policemen's wives, who are … living with husbands, who are… more strict…"

"Abusive", Kotetsu growled.

His mother shuddered, but then nodded. "I… learnt a lot a-and… summed up some courage and… told your father that… if he doesn't make peace with you, if he doesn't beg it from you… I'll never get back to him."

Kotetsu gulped dryly. "What?", he asked again, quietly and unbelievingly…

Tears fell down his mother's cheeks. "I miss my boy, Kotetsu. I know I was an awful mother, weak and not supporting you enough but…! Kami, I miss you so much!", she sobbed. "It's been hell since you left!"

Kotetsu shuddered; he blinked, confused, dumbfounded…

My phone rang. Looking at the display, I winced, seeing the captain's number.

"It's from work", I said, mostly to him. "I gotta go…"

His head shot up again and he looked at me pleadingly, but then he forced the usual calm and collected mask on his face and nodded. I bent lower and whispered into his ear, "I'll tell Kakashi and Genma that you're… impeded. I'll also try to come back earlier."

He just nodded miserably.

* * *

She was sitting on the couch, watching the TV when I got back; or should I say, she was "looking" at it – she didn't seem to pay any attention. Kotetsu was nowhere in sight.

"Hello", I greeted, forcing a smile. She smiled back, standing up and extending a hand.

"We didn't officially got introduced. I'm Kumiko", I shook her hand, but then she added "And you are…?"

_Uh. Your son's boyfriend? Someone given a chance after he'd screwed up big time, just like you?_

"I, eer… My name is Izumo. I'm Kotetsu's… partner..."

"…in life", a deep voice finished as strong hands crept around my waist and pulled me back to a hard body.

My eyes widened, my heart skipped a beat and I couldn't force my body to relax in his arms as the words sank in. He'd just introduced me, _to his mother_, as his _partner in life_. I gulped dryly.

The woman smiled gently and sincerely. "I am... really glad that I could meet you, Izumo."

I just nodded dumbfounded.

More awkward silence followed before Kotetsu sighed and announced that the dinner is ready.

* * *

"So… how did the day go?", I asked quietly.

We'd put up his mother in the spare bedroom after the tense dinner and had gone to bed early ourselves. I laid in his arms, half-sprawled on top of him and half on the bed; that calmed him down, when he was the one holding, the one in control. Needless to say, I did not mind at all.

He sighed. "She tries. I can see that; she talks when I look ready to listen or ask her myself, she sits in a corner, so she wouldn't be in the way, she doesn't ask, even though she wants to, but doesn't want to bother me. She tries. The thing is… she's always tried. I just… can't make myself believe that it is different now. That it's enough."

I didn't know what to say. I just snuggled closer to him, offering more warmth.

"She wants to ask more about you", he suddenly said. "I can see it. Once or twice when I mentioned you today she even dared some small questions. Not the real important ones, but still…"

"It surprised me; the way you introduced me to her, as your partner in life…"

He snorted. "Well, you did call me "baby" in the morning. It was quite clear."

I smiled slightly. "Still. It's different when you say it out loud, clearly."

He just rubbed my arm gently.

"Did she say how long she's going to stay?", I asked.

"No. I guess she really won't go back to my father until he comes to apologize to me, so I guess she practically moves to Konoha then. Look, I… know it's inconvenient and I'll accompany her to a hotel if you…"

"No! I mean… she's you mother. And, like you said, she's trying. Let her stay with us."

"…Okay. Thank you."

I snorted. "Stop thanking me for nothing, stupid."

* * *

**Kotetsu's mother POV**

Izumo took a week off from work – he said it was a common thing to do when having guests, but I could see he wanted to support Kotetsu.

I really couldn't wish for more. My son was loved and loved in return. And his chosen one was this decent man, a policeman from what I'd gathered; a man, who took good care of my boy. Kami, this is all I've ever wanted! Someone worthy of my child. Every mother, even the bad ones, wishes for this. It had never mattered to me, the way it did for his father, who Kotetsu loved – a man or a woman, as long as he is happy, or at least content…

"We should buy potatoes and some yellow and processed cheese… Kotetsu makes this amazing pot…", Izumo was talking, forcing a smile for me, picking up more ingredients. He'd offered me to accompany him to the market – to show me more sights of the town, but in fact to give Kotetsu some time to be alone with his thoughts.

"..and thyme and oregano…"

"Maybe strawberries for a pie…?", I suggested.

He laughed out loud, genuinely amused. Then he saw I wasn't smiling and frowned, now seeming just as confused as I was.

"Kotetsu is allergic to strawberries", he just said.

I didn't know that. If it were left to me, I could have poisoned my own child, not knowing something so important about him…

"I'm sorry I laughed, I thought you were joking…", he said awkwardly.

"No…I'm the one who should be sorry…"

He knew my son from how long? Two years? Even less…? And I, the one who had given birth to Kotetsu, didn't know my own flesh and blood.

Izumo cleared his throat.

"Let's… let's buy some apples instead. I can teach you the recipe of a pie he loves. You know, he even woke me up once, at 3 in the morning, to make him this pie…"

I forced down my self-hatred and smiled for my son's life partner.

* * *

A half-scream, half-sob woke me up sometime after midnight. It had come from their bedroom.

Worried, I crept out of the room they'd given me, walking into the big dark living room. The door to their bedroom hadn't been properly closed it seemed, and I could see their now lit up bedroom through a small slit.

Izumo was sitting in the bed, crying; his eyes were big and scared and his hands clutched the blankets while he looked at Kotetsu.

"I'm sorry… so sorry… so sorry, so sorry…", he sobbed, his whole body shaking. Kotetsu didn't seem surprised – it was obviously a common nightmare for Izumo. My son tried to hug his distressed lover, but Izumo flinched back. Kotetsu sighed.

"Zumo… Zumo, it's ok. It's in the past. Look at me…"

"I can't, I can't… Oh, Kami…"

"Zumo…", Kotetsu's voice sounded pleading now, his face sad, if a bit too pale.

"I'm so sorry, baby, so sorry…"

"Izumo", Kotetsu tried to sound stern. "Here, touch me…"

Izumo suddenly panicked, shaking his head and crawling back in the bed. "No, no, I can't, I can't! Please, I'm sorry, I can't!", he cried.

Kotetsu's face was set in grim determination now. In a single movement, so fast, I could barely see it, he grabbed the shaking form of Izumo, pressing his body next to his own and holding tight, despite the panicked cry – he just closed his eyes and began rocking them gently back and forth, humming quietly, trying to calm down his loved one and relax the stiff form of Izumo's body.

"I'm sorry, so sorry… I love you, I'm sorry…", Izumo kept half-sobbing, half-whispering.

"It's okay, I know… I know, baby…", Kotetsu whispered back, kissing the top of Izumo's head, still gently rocking them both.

I stepped back and quietly got back in the spare bedroom.

* * *

Izumo avoided Kotetsu's worried, pointed glances throughout the tense breakfast. The policeman tried to make some small talk, mostly with me, but more than anything he was in a hurry to just leave the apartment. He barely ate, then left his dish in the sink, said a quick goodbye and hurried for the door to put on his shoes.

Kotetsu stood up and followed him; his jaw was clenched and he looked determined, just like last night. Feeling worried I followed them too, quietly, stealing a look around the corner.

Kotetsu grabbed Izumo's arm and pulled it roughly until Izumo was spun around like ragdoll. Kotetsu gripped his lover's straight hair and slammed his lips onto Izumo's in a kiss so hard it was almost brutal. Izumo's rigid form, however, slowly relaxed and he kissed back. The kiss itself turned slow and sensual, like kisses were generally meant to be. When they parted Izumo looked down at his feet, but Kotetsu put a finger under his chin, forcing his head up, while in the same time Kotetsu's taller form bent a little, searching Izumo's eyes. They exchanged a look, full of so much unsaid words, questions and promises. They didn't need to be said – it was all there in that look they shared. Izumo nodded slightly. Kotetsu smiled and kissed him again, quickly, chastely.

"Have a save day", he said.

"See you tonight, babe", Izumo muttered what obviously was the usual comeback to the first line, and then he turned and left for work.

Kotetsu turned around and saw me standing close, obviously having seen the scene.

"Is… I mean… Is everything alright?", I asked.

He looked aside.

"Sometimes… everyday is a fight, just so we can stay together. If it wasn't worth it, we'd both given up a long time ago."

"But you don't."

"We don't. Cuz it's worth it", he bit out.

"I can see that", I dared to say, smiling a little.

For the first time since I'd come here I saw a ghost of a smile on my son's lips.

* * *

**Izumo POV**

I was watching the phone, waiting for it to ring.

Oblivious to what was about to happen, Kotetsu moved the armchair, vacuuming. He had his earphones in and I could hear Rammstein's "Ich tu dir weh" from where I sat. This was good. He wouldn't hear the phone…

Kotetsu sighed and stopped the vacuum cleaner; then he stopped the player and removed his earphones.

The phone rang.

"I got it!", I yelled, tripping to get to it first.

Of course, Kotetsu was faster. "Geez, take it easy… Hello? Oh… hi, Mrs. Kamizuki…", he blushed a bit; I closed my eyes, waiting for it… "Hi, Mom."

I opened my eyes just in time to see as his mother's head shot up, surprised. I winced. I'm sure it wasn't nice to hear your son calling another woman "Mom", when he never called _you_ like that. My mother kept insisting that Kotetsu calls her like that. _"Since you're pretty much married now",_ she'd sang, making us blush.

"Ah, yeah… um, yes…I'm alright, really", Kotetsu turned around and glared. I winced again.

A month or so ago my mother had managed to wrung the info about Kotetsu's family out of me. Since then she'd become way too overprotective. Kotetsu, of course, felt uncomfortable with that.

And now, my mother had somehow managed to make me choke out that Kotetsu's mother was here on an unexpected visit.

"No, M-Mom, I promise it's okay… Yes. Yes, he behaves… mostly", he grinned evilly at me. "Oh, yes, I will punish him if he doesn't…"

I gulped dryly, sloooowly creeping towards the front door.

"Mhm… yeah. Sure, okay. Yep. Bye, Mom", click, "COME HERE, YOU LITTLE PUNK!.!.!"

"Gyaaaah! I wasn't, I wasn't… she made meeeee!"

* * *

**Kotetsu's mother POV**

Izumo spent some time stutteringly explaining to me why his mother had insisted that Kotetsu also calls her "Mom". He was blushing quite hard when he retold me his mother's words about how they were practically married, so it was only natural that Kotetsu calls her like that.

Izumo had looked almost apologizing when he was explaining all that. I'd assured him he didn't need to feel bad; he didn't need to explain at all for that matter. I was a little curious to meet his mother though…

And I was curious about something else too.

"Um… about you two being almost married… Have… have you discussed it?", I asked.

He averted his gaze, looking down.

"Oh, no, no. It's not actually done around here…"

"That's not true", Kotetsu interjected from the kitchen. "You know, when his guy proposed to him Kiba actually did a small research and the laws here actually allow it", Kotetsu chuckled. "Now Kiba has to think of another reason to refuse wearing white."

I looked back at Izumo. His eyes, still averted, were a little sad. It was like… yes; he'd known the laws. But he thought of something else preventing them two to take that step. And considering what I'd seen a few nights ago, I was ready to bet he considered it to be his fault.

In the kitchen Kotetsu was whistling, oblivious to his lover's inner turmoil.

* * *

"NO! NO!"

This time I was sure it was Kotetsu. I could recognize my son's pained screams.

Not thinking for a second, I jumped from the bed and rushed for their bedroom. The door was closed this time, but I opened it in a rush, not thinking about proper manners when my child sounded in pain.

The room was lit up again and they were sitting in the bed. This time it was Kotetsu who was crying, panicked and scared from what was probably his worst nightmare if his wild eyes, staring at Izumo, were any indication. He gripped Izumo's arms and stared at his eyes, searching… Izumo looked back, as calmly as he could. Kotetsu grabbed his lover's white t-shirt and pulled it harshly over his head. I was about to step back, but then I saw them.

Scars; from gunshots. Being a wife of a policeman and a mother of two more I couldn't mistake those.

Kotetsu's badly shaking hands traced Izumo's scars and he was breathing hard, choking on his sobs. Izumo stood still, having probably gotten used to this.

"They are not bleeding", he said with a quiet, gentle voice. "See? They are healed, baby. I'm okay…"

"…you were… ch-choking… you couldn't… couldn't b-breathe, I…", Kotetsu was in the stage of hysteria now, choking on his cries, shaking all over… "t-there were… f-five gunshots… Five!"

Five… Kami sama!

"…s-so much… blood… I can't… I can't s-stop it…!"

"Kotetsu. Tetsu, look at me, love. No blood. See?", Izumo tried again, his own eyes a little glassy now, looking helpless before his lover's pain.

"You died!", Kotetsu cried, making my eyes widen. "You gave up, there was a flat line! You gave up!.!.!"

Izumo winced and a few tears finally fell down his own cheeks as well. "I'm sorry, baby… I was weak… But I fought and came back. For you." He crawled closer to Kotetsu and lifted his arms – slowly so the gesture wouldn't trigger Kotetsu's soldier instincts; he wrapped my son in a gentle, but tight enough hug. "Feel that? I'm okay, baby. I'm here. I came back for you…"

Kotetsu broke down in his arms, crying like a small child, hugging him back just as hard. Izumo finally met my eyes and shook his head, mouthing _"I got it."_ I nodded and quietly stepped back, closing the door.

There were tears in my eyes as well as I returned to my room. I couldn't get back to sleep. Not before Kotetsu's muffled cries finally faded and stopped – Izumo had calmed him down.

* * *

**Izumo POV**

Thank Kami, the next day was Saturday. When we woke up in the morning Kotetsu showed all signs of falling into one of his moods – he was quiet, a bit apathetic and avoided my eyes - so I had to act quickly. It took some convincing but I managed to talk him into taking a bath(tub) with me.

He was laying between my legs, his back to my front, his eyes closed; he was relaxed and I wondered if he was dozing off. I sipped from my coffee and just enjoyed his warmth and the heaviness of his body over mine. He sighed contently, making me reconsider the idea of him falling back to sleep.

"This is nice", he murmured with a low (and damn sexy!) voice. His head was resting on my collarbone and a few strands of his hair, which had gotten wet, had straightened again and were floating in the water. I gulped dryly.

"It is", I agreed. "We should make it a Saturday tradition."

"Mmm…", he moaned, wriggling a bit to make himself more comfortable. My mind suddenly went hazy and I hadn't realized my coffee cup had tilted dangerously until some of the drink actually got in the water.

"Shit…", I muttered, straightening the cup. Kotetsu opened one eye, realized the situation and chuckled, low and sexy again.

"Mmh… what are you doing?", he asked lazily. "A coffee scented bath?"

"Shut up", I groaned, flushing a bit – it was from the steam. "You made that sound again", I countered.

"Hm? What sound?"

"_That_ sound…"

"Mmmm..?"

"Y-yeah. This one."

His hand dove under the water and groped a little, making me jump. I was still spluttering when he grinned and drawled, "Mm, yeah, I can feel you like it. … So, how about it?"

My eyes widened. "Your mother is in the next room!"

He sighed, frustrated. "We haven't done it for a whole week! Come oooon! We'll be quiet…"

"There is echo in the bathroom."

"…and quick…"

"You don't like quickies", I pointed out. He sighed again, turning around to look at me.

"Izumo, I'm so horny right now, that I'm ready to take you to a love hotel!"

I fought down both a blush and a bout of laughter. And then, of course, one of my rare courage boosts made me say, "Then take me."

His eyes widened briefly and then he grinned like a kid in the toy shop. He began to stand up.

"W-wait! I mean… there is still the question of your mother…"

He rolled his eyes. "She can stay home alone for a few hours, she's not a kid."

All kinds of small alarms lit up in my brain. "HOURS!", the memories of limping for days after some of our longer and hard-core sessions screamed at me in horror. "Hours…", the memories of him, hitting that place, right there, please more, fuck, yeah….!, moaned in my head.

Having read my thoughts, he just grinned wider.

* * *

We did it in a love motel. Thrice.

Kami, I'm such a slut…

"Fuck… thank you… Thank you!", he panted in my ear.

Oh. Okay. You can't be a slut, when your man sounds that content, right?

Wait a minute. It's the opposite! I'm a slut!

"Aaah, I needed this!", he said, falling on the bed beside me.

There, look, he needed this. You gave it to him. You helped a man in need. You cannot be that bad a person…

But it felt good for me too… Like, soooooo good…

"What's with that face?"

"I just realized what a slut I am."

He sighed. "Again with the moods…", he growled.

"Well, it's a love motel…"

"So? Couples do that all the time."

"Thrice?"

A huge grin. "Naah, that's just you being lucky", he winked. I scowled.

"It's _my_ ass that's going to hurt like hell later, so aren't _you_ the lucky one in this case?!"

His grin faded to a smile. "Okay, okay. That's why I thanked you, you know? Uh, I'm sorry, babe. I know I overdid it… again… I'll take special care for you in the next few days, I promise."

I sighed. "That's okay. A lot of things happened. You needed to vent. And you've been holding back. I get it. I'm a man too. I'm in the same position…"

Or could be, if he'd let me top. But I knew from experience that if you deny him sex for some time, for any reason, Kotetsu just had to top when you finally let him. Then, after he'd calmed down a bit, and if you can make it good, you could have your turn too.

I grinned evilly. His smile faded.

"What? What?!", he asked, alarmed.

"We paid for one more hour", I said, crawling on top of him. "You said you'd take care of meee…", I sang in his ear.

He made a small, satisfyingly worried sound.

* * *

"Well this is embarrassing", I noted, smirking.

Kotetsu glared at me from where he was crawling on the floor, on all fours… big bad ANBU and all that… I suppressed a chuckle. He glared again, then returned to his task: to get Jash out from under the couch – how had a dog as huge as him managed to get there, was another mystery. As to why he was there, that was pretty simple…

"Jash, come on, man! The vet isn't that scary!", Kotetsu tried. Both Jash and I snorted again, me - earning another glare.

"Jash. You need the vaccine. I am not leaving without you and you are not skipping this visit!"

A low whine sounded from under the couch. If I had to translate, it was probably around the lines of _"You go get a fucking huge syringe with a fucking huge needle stabbed onto your ass!"_

"I'll buy you your favorite dog cookies…"

A snort.

"Okaaaay… Then, Izumo will cook your favorite chicken wings. Hmm? Chicken wings?"

A black nose emerged from under the couch, sniffing.

"I promise", Kotetsu continued with a voice as if he were bribing a child. "Izumo, promise him too."

"I solemnly swear I will prepare chicken wings for the bravest dog, after he gets his vaccine", I said.

Jash snorted again, as if to show he'd caught the sarcastic tone, but crawled begrudgingly from under the couch.

"Theeere we go", Kotetsu patted him soothingly. "It won't be that bad, buddy, you'll see. Come on."

The sound of stifled giggles made us turn and see his mother's amused face. Kotetsu's cheeks went a bit pink and he looked away, but his mother just said, "You two will be great parents one day", before she returned to the kitchen.

* * *

**Kotetsu POV**

He walked amongst all the green pine trees, smiling slightly, inspecting each of them. It was snowing slightly and he looked almost like a kid, lost in the forest, but the smile erased that image.

He looked at the trees. I looked at him.

He turned back and smiled. "What is it? Did you like one?"

I smirked. "I did."

He rolled his eyes, smiling a bit. "A tree, Kotetsu, a tree."

I shrugged. "Just choose one."

He looked disappointed for a moment, before he looked to his side.

"When I was little, my father used to take the whole family to choose a Christmas tree, together. Like, Kamizuki family's hunt for a Xmas tree", he chuckled. "It's a family thing for me, you see", he looked back, right in my eyes. "It's important for me."

I nodded, a bit taken aback. I hadn't known it was such a big thing for him. I looked at the trees and concentrated.

"My mother used to make those honey biscuits with forms of a star, and pine tree, and those little honey-men", he continued, chuckling. "Aiko and I usually ate them on Christmas Eve and there were none left for Xmas itself. Mom and Dad usually bought us the toys we wanted and Maria knitted shawls and hats for us. And there was the tradition of making a snowman… I remember the first year that there was no snow for Xmas. Aiko and I were so miserable…", he smiled again.

"Hey… you wanna make a snowman this year? The two of us?", I grinned.

"Aren't we a little too… grown up?", he smiled back, making us both laugh.

He turned back around and I saw it in the same moment.

"This one!", we both said, pointing at the tree.

He turned back to look at me, his whole face lit up with one of his rare big smiles.

I don't care how mushy this sounds; I fell in love with him again.

* * *

"So I went and bought these…"

Izumo poured out the contents of a fairly large bag on the couch – silver and golden garlands, toys in the same colors plus red and pale blue – spheres, bells, candy-cane-forms, elf-s…

"Too much?", he asked with a half-guilty, half-hopeful expression. I grinned.

"No… I mean, I don't think so. You're the expert."

He smiled again, unwrapping a few more tiny toys – a drummer boy, an angel and a star.

"I took these from home. It's… you know…. part of the tradition. To pass some of the decoration to the next generation… the kids, who create a home of their own. Aiko took some when she married. Now… I mean this is our home, right? We're… a family of a sort…aren't we?"

I smiled and leaned to him over the decoration.

"You're my only real family", I whispered, kissing him gently and making him smile back.

Okay! Fine! Holidays, with him, make me mushy! Deal with it! I have. Plus, it's not like I lie…

"Let's… let's start decorating, shall we?", he asked, still with a small smile on his lips.

I just nodded and took the star figure he handed me, hooking it on the tree.

* * *

Loud banging on the door made me jump a bit, which was dangerous, considering I was holding a knife. But the sound of fists colliding with the door on a beautiful Saturday morning wasn't the one that made me stay on edge.

Jash's thundering bark did.

A stranger. One that Jash considered a danger or someone who made me or Izumo nervous.

I came out of the kitchen in the same time that my mother came out of the spare bedroom and Izumo came out of ours. He looked both irritated and on edge, just like me. Just like any policeman.

"What the hell…", he muttered, swinging the door open.

In a twisted retrospection of that day, with my mother standing on my doorstep, I stood frozen again.

Because now there was someone even more unlikely to pay me a visit, standing there.

My father.

Izumo glared at him; his back was turned to me, so he couldn't see my face.

"Yeah?", he bit out, sounding more than a bit annoyed.

My father measured him with a cold look and I could guess what he saw – a scrawny guy, with hair, longer than boys should be allowed to have, most likely his fag son's plaything. He snorted and made his first big mistake.

He raised a hand to push Izumo aside.

Izumo acted like any normal cop (plus he was faster, smarter and mine. Ugh, anyway) – he ducked, dove under my father's outstretched arm, twisted it behind his enemy's back and kicked said enemy's shins hard enough to make his prey fall on his knees. Izumo's other hand clenched hard around my father's neck. Next to me, my mother gasped, terrified.

"Kotetsu, hand me that knife, please", Izumo said eerily calmly, making me realize I was still holding the knife I had been chopping the pork with.

"Damn it, boy, do something!", my father spluttered, turning redder with every second.

I coughed to clear my suddenly dry throat. "Izumo… this is my father."

Pause.

"The knife, please?", Izumo repeated nicely.

I had the satisfaction of seeing my father's eyes widen with terror and some sort of grim respect. I smirked.

"Let him go, Izumo. A murder would look bad in your record."

"He's a cop?!", my father rasped, clearly thinking how fucked up a country this was if they allowed fags in their police force. Izumo's fingers tightened their grip and I knew they only looked fragile, like he only looked skinny in his baggy home-clothes… but under those rags he was all lean muscles and those hands were strong enough to hold me up against a wall…

I smirked again, nodding as an answer to my father's question. As if to prove it, Izumo noted,

"It's our home, he broke into it. We'll call it self-defense."

"There're witnesses…", I nodded to my mother nonchalantly, not really making any effort to save my father by convincing Izumo too hard.

Izumo gave it a thought, then he let go, leaving his prey choking and crawling on the floor.

"Ain't the same when your other son's not here to help you, huh?", Izumo spat out venomously. "Just give me a reason, old man…"

"Izumo", I warned, hearing my mother half-sob next to me. Izumo tsk-ed and walked away.

"So… that your _boyfriend_?", my father asked, stressing the last word mockingly.

"Partner in life, yes."

Boyfriend didn't sound adequate for what we had.

My father snorted.

"Need someone to protect you again? Save you like the weak…"

Low chuckles from the kitchen made my father stop talking as Izumo entered the room again.

"You stupid son of a bitch", he said levelly, but his voice was slowly growing louder. "He could have beaten you to death back then. He wasn't weak. He was just strong enough to endure and not leave his mother a widow! He survived, you fucking scum! "Need someone to protect him?!", Izumo laughed harshly and pulled the sleeve of my t-shirt up, showing my ANBU tattoo; my father's eyes widened – the tattoo was unique for each country, but the place it was tattooed on was always the same; he knew what that swirl meant even if he hadn't seen Konoha's sign before. "Yeah, look at it well, fuckhead! He's an ANBU. The special unit. He can kill you in the blink of an eye and you wouldn't even know what happened to y-…"

"That's enough, Izumo", I said.

He stopped, but looked away, blinking rapidly, his whole body shaking. I knew he wanted to hit my father so much in that moment that it literally pained him to contain himself. And he did that for me.

"Why did you come?", I asked.

My father still looked a bit taken aback from his discoveries: his son was an ANBU, had a policeman boyfriend, who could fight like a real man and hadn't killed him only because said son hadn't let him; he was reluctantly respected. He cleared his throat.

"I came to take your mother back home."

"She doesn't need to leave, with you", I said. My mother's head turned sharply, her wide eyes glued on me. "She can stay here. We'll accommodate her… help her find a place of her own at some point…"

"What about her home…?"

"WHAT HOME!?", I yelled, making them all wince. "You call that cold place a home?! You call her your wife and only expect from her to cook and clean! When have you last hug her, kissed her, tell her you love her?! Do you even?!"

And I was the one shaking now, enraged and emotional. Izumo's hand slowly crept on my shoulder and squeezed tightly.

"I do", my father said quietly.

"Yeah? Has anyone noticed? Does _she_ even know?!"

My father snorted, looking away. "I was born and raised in Suna, boy, they don't exactly teach you how to handle, much less show your feelings."

Surely he saw what was missing in his theory..?

"I was born and raised there as well."

As if on cue, Izumo came closer, his arm sneaking around my waist as mine went around his shoulders. The message was clear – _"I was born and raised like you, but I'm not like you. I love him and he knows that."_ My father sighed, stood up and finally looked at my mother.

"Let's go home, Kumiko."

She looked confused. Hesitant. My father looked away, pretending he didn't see that.

"An ANBU, huh?", he suddenly said.

Not really seeing where this was going and frowning a little, I nodded.

"And your… man, is a cop."

I nodded again. My father smirked slightly, as if it had just appeared on his face without him really meaning that.

"He has a strong grip", he admitted, again - reluctantly respected.

I smirked a little as well. "He does."

My father sighed again and then did something unbelievable – he held out his hand.

"Thanks… for taking care of your Mom."

My wide eyes were glued on his hand; I was frozen on my spot. Izumo bent to whisper in my ear.

"Take it", he said. "You're not like him, come on… Take it."

It was like everything was happening in a dream. I took his hand and shook it; my mother gasped, smiling a smile so wide I hadn't seen in years on her face; Izumo smiled too, proudly; my father looked away again, coughing a bit to clear his throat.

"I'll… pack my things", my Mom said, rushing into the spare bedroom.

"I'll wait in the car", my father said, leaving quickly. He stopped once by the door, looked back at us, nodded curtly and left.

I collapsed on the couch. Izumo sat next to me, smiling wider.

"You did great, love", he said, sounding proud again.

I let my head fall back, closing my eyes, and sighed. "I feel drained. My head hurts. I want coffee and something sweet", I whined. He just chuckled fondly.

Someone cleared their throat nearby and I opened my eyes. My mother stood there, her small travel bag in her hands. She was smiling, but she looked nervous too.

"Um… I… bought this for you two", she said, blushing a bit and handing Izumo a small box, wrapped as a present. "For the tree…"

Izumo opened the lid. Inside laid a small golden ornament – two simple styled man figures, holding hands, their bodies bent a little and creating a heart.

"Um… I know you have such tough jobs and this may look inadequate…", she started nervously.

"It's perfect", Izumo smiled sincerely and immediately stood up to hook the decoration on the tree.

My mother looked at me. "Will you see me out?", she asked. I nodded and stood up.

She stopped by the door and turned to me. She smiled again, lifting a hand to caress my cheek.

"Kotetsu. I know I've made many mistakes, but listen to a mother, who wants the best for her child", her eyes were intently looking straight into mine. "Marry this man", she said, her voice sounding as if she had managed to stress every word in the sentence.

Feeling dumbstruck, I just nodded numbly. She smiled wider, stood on her toes to kiss my cheek (I bent a little) and with a last proud look at me, left.

Izumo's hands crept around me from behind as I still stood there, watching the closed door.

"Baby? What is it?"

I smiled slightly. "Nothing just…", I turned around to face him. "My Mom gave me something to think about."

"Hmm? What is it? Tell me!"

"Naah", I teased him then smiled a bit thoughtfully. "Not yet. But some day…"

"What? Kotetsu!"

I just laughed, ushering him to the bedroom – we were finally alone again!

As we walked near the tree, the golden ornament from my mother - the ultimate representation of our family, Izumo and I - glinted as if it winked at us from the middle of our first Christmas tree.

**A.N.** And Merry Christmas to you all with a little (early) gift from me! ;)


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